


Victory Alone Can't Heal Everything (Toot Toot)

by wittykitsune



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-12
Updated: 2016-04-12
Packaged: 2018-06-01 21:11:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,758
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6536449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wittykitsune/pseuds/wittykitsune
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Even if in the end he was healed up and fine, Dave still had to cut off Dirk's head. That's not just something you can let roll off your back. And when you've been keeping close company with each other as long as he has with Karkat you become shit at hiding when something wrong.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Victory Alone Can't Heal Everything (Toot Toot)

**Author's Note:**

> An answer to dyonoi's tumblr petition: http://dyonoi.tumblr.com/post/142664951048/petition-for-davekat-content-with-karkat
> 
> "petition for davekat content with karkat comforting dave after having to decapitate dirk. because even if dirk was fine that shits gotta be really traumatizing, especially to a guy that hates fighting and doesnt want to hurt anyone."

 

The thing about spending nearly all of three years with each other is it gives ample time to pick up on subtle body language and tones. The greeting was warm enough and the arm around him wasn’t out of the ordinary. The smile was even genuine, but the whole that was their reunion had subtle signs something was off. The arm draped around him wasn’t fully relaxed. Dave praised his defeat of Clover quickly enough and with just as much pride as it gave him, but he laughed off being encouraged to tell his own battle exploits in favor of hearing about Karkat’s in great detail. Which he couldn’t help but give him. 

John’s hugging of Dad Crocker gave Karkat even more time to watch Dave’s progression into further worrisome habits. The way he would rock a few times on his feet. The way his mouth was starting to quiver that way it did before he progressed into his babbling to himself, but more so that he was attempting to stop it instead of letting it happen. That mouth could tell Karkat a hundred and one things with just how his lips were shaped and how they moved. 

Okay maybe not that many, but he knew when Dave was trying to keep quiet and he also knew when he was doing it because something was bothering him that he didn’t want out. He just had to get to the bottom of it.

A quick check to be sure everyone is still gaping at John’s current display and all it takes is a single soft tug on Dave’s sleeve to get him to follow him away and to the edge of the pad. They both sit and Dave is visibly trembling, even if it’s only obvious while you’re staring at him from the front. He’s hiding it less in his legs since they’re currently draped off the edge.

“What’s up? You okay?” Even like this Dave still assumes it’s something wrong with Karkat but he’s quick to clear that up.

“I am, but you fucking aren’t. We need to have a cape meeting.” Karkat tugs the cap up over Dave’s head to come to shelter both of them from the rest of the group. He doesn’t care about how it looks. This is more important to him that their inane rumors and mumblings. 

Dave wrapped an arm around him and leaned close once they were covered, his breathing starting to progress to frantic until Karkat’s hands touch his face. He laughs softly at how quickly that gets him out of his own head and back to Karkat’s face.

“You pass out on me I can’t catch you when we both go over. Keep oxygen in those breathing bags and tell me what’s wrong.” He’s speaking as hushed as he could managed, which was still above an average speaking voice, but it’s enough of a change to get Dave to know it’s time to come out with it or face the wrath of worried Karkat and worried Karkat was a Karkat he hated causing. 

“It was the fight. Something happened at our battle.” Dave’s own voice was barely audible but Karkat and him were leaning so close their faces were touching so it didn’t matter. “I had to do a thing and it’s okay we all made it out alive and fine so no big deal right?” Dave laughed but it came out high, too high for Karkat’s liking and hollow.

“Yes, big deal. Very big deal. It’s bothering you so spill it or I’ll start giving you looks and more face petting.” Karkat’s nose pressed to Dave’s. 

“Oh shit dude, not the face petting. That’s illegal breaking at least seven terms of the Geneva Convention. They’ll execute you for sure.” Dave’s other arm found its way around him, clinging tightly to his waist and letting his face come to rest in his warm neck. He could feel Karkat breathing and his arms snaking around him to hold him closer until Dave was more in his lap than out of it.

“Spill or I’ll do it. And you know where we go from there. The tender face kissings. The soft noises. The hair combing. All of that is your future if you don’t tell me what’s wrong. The cape hides it all.” Karkat was certain they’d catch hell for making out during John’s tender reunion but he’d deal with it for Dave’s sake.

“You’re hurting your case throwing all that on the table. Sounds like some of the shit a guy needs after the time I’ve had.” Dave gave another breathy laugh. “I’m fucked up, Karkat. Fucked up and fate’s out to keep throwing me godawful curves to keep me doing shit I don’t want to do.”

“This is more than fighting at all isn’t it? And screw me hurting my case, you’ll tell me in the end either way.” Karkat’s hand went to his shades, a very light touch, and he didn’t pull them away until Dave gave a very slight nod. His lips came forward as the shade left, pressing kisses under his eyes and over his nose. Each one so brief they barely registered before he moved along. 

“Y-yeah, yeah man this wasn’t just holding the sword again this was like heavy shit pressing down. Had to do things I promised myself I’d never do. I knew I’d have to break at least the one just to stop however many Jacks, but I had to go beyond beyond fucked up. I ended the fight. I’m the _hero_ but fuck if I don’t feel like one. Like goddamn who cuts off their own bro’s head?” Dave’s breathy laugh was lost to his neck and faded into a soft sob. 

“Having to do it and it being okay doesn’t make it any less fucked up having to do it in the first place, but having to do it doesn’t make you someone horrible and irredeemable. I don’t know the circumstance of that how the position got that way, but I do know this Dave and you fucking listen to me about this because this right here is one of the most important things I’ll ever say to you. Even with everything being okay and his head being back on his shoulders like it never happened, it’s more than your right to feel like paradox space just choose to take a giant shit on your and your feelings. It’s fucked up what you had to do and it turning out okay doesn’t magically cancel that anymore than you being insufferable sometimes doesn’t make me regret this no matter how much we joke alone about how we’re the best and worst fucking thing to happen to each other.”    
  
Karkat’s hand began to rub up and down as back as Dave’s shaking got worse. He counted every time his breath hitched in a silent sob and the moist feeling on his neck just brought on more rubbing. Dave wouldn’t talk or couldn’t so he filled the silence instead.     

“We’re so close to the end now. We’re so close to being fucking done of course this shit would throw one last fuck you at you Dave. It’s how it works. It takes everything you don’t want to do and spits it in your face. Like here fucking surprise you have to swallow your promises to yourself and forget your own well being and get on the trauma express. Toot toot. All aboard to shitsville.” Karkat stopped rubbing when he felt him get very still. “Dave?”

Dave looked up at him, face with tear streaks still but a grin. He snorted and started laughing. “Shit Karkat, you’re going to kill me with that train sound. It’s downright lethal.”   

“What? It was a perfectly fine rendition of that human transportation serpent. Even better I would bet than the ones coming for the talking ones with faces you showed me.” Karkat gave him a squeeze. “I will toot toot as much as I fucking please. It was the perfect train whistle.” 

Dave was shaking but now it was from his laughing. He pressed closer, sinking his face into Karkat’s chest while he snorted and laughed himself to soundless laughter. “Stop it, stop, I’m gonna die. Oh fuck my sides.”

“Toot fucking toot.” Karkat lifted Dave’s face up and kissed him, this time not stopping until Dave moved away. 

“Shit. Karkat. You can’t do that to me. Not even fair.” Dave was still out of breath and he leaned against him, letting Karkat hold him steady. 

“Fair nothing, I don’t play fair.” Karkat pressed his mouth near his ear. “Toot toot.” He laughed when Dave’s hand came to press hard into his face.

“No, no you fucking stop that right now. I’m not laughing myself to death.” Dave pressed a kiss to his mouth to stop him saying it again. His hand found Karkat’s hair and he scritched into his scalp lightly. “Thanks. I’m still you know not liking it but damn as silly as that was maybe I will be okay again.” He rested his head against Karkat’s as they just held each other.

“I’ll take it. I’m convinced I’ll never be over some of this, but maybe that is okay as long as I don’t feel like I’m fucking reliving it all the time.” Karkat’s head pressed up under Dave’s chin.

“I can accept it, especially when I get treated to moments you can never live down.” Dave pressed his lips between his horns. “You know they’re going to think we were macking while John was having his tender familial moment.”

“I know this, this was a given the moment I called the cape meeting.”

“I don’t think you accounted for your antics dude, you better hope they didn’t hear you making train sounds or you’re screwed.” 

“I’m taking you down with me. Don’t think you’re getting out of that.” Karkat pressed his face into his.

“Worse ways to go man, worse was to go.” Dave peeked out and quickly ducked back under. “Looks like your estimate on the hug hang time was off dude, we’re the center of attention.” 

“Great. We already knew what nosy assholes some of them were. It fucking figures they couldn’t help themselves. Insatiable appetites for our business.” Karkat took one of his hands. “Let’s do this together. Jumping off or taking our gossip crew’s verbal beat down. One or the other.”

“Can’t bail dude, too close to better things to bail. We’ll just have to take our licks together.”

**Author's Note:**

> Shout out to hotrobots and sord for the title help.
> 
> Thank you to Tieru for the cute fanart. ;w; https://instagram.com/p/BHqe1h0B7Kg/


End file.
